Padrões de distribuição e variação temporal de térmitas (Blattodea: Isoptera): uso como bioindicadores na amazônia central

Termites are a group that has a recognized potencial as a bioindicator taxon. However, few studies aimed to understand their populational fluctuations, which is essential for the usage of any group in monitoring programs. For this reason, we evaluated the congruency of the taxonomic assemblages and the temporal pattern in the spatial distribution of termites assemblages collected in 2008 (rainy season), 2009 (less rainy season) and in 2014 (rainy season). The samplings were standardized and conducted in a “Terra Firme” tropical forest, in the Central Amazonia, in 30 plots of 250 m length each, distributed at 1 km of each other. Excluding the soldierless termites belonging to Apicotermitinae, the number of identified species for the 2008, 2009 and 2014 samplings are of 57, 53 e 44, respectively, totalizing 81 species. Using the 2014 assemblage with Apicotermitinae morphotyped, two multiple regression models were made. The soil clay content, terrain slope and the plant composition (live trees, palms and lianas) and litter depth were used as the independent variables. The taxonomic composition of total termite assemblage reduced to one axis using NMDS and the proportion of xylophage’s termite species were used as the dependent variables in regression models. The taxonomic composition of the total assemblage was correlated with the plant composition, while the geophagus termites were correlated with the plant composition and litter depth. The Apicotermitinae were excluded from the following analysis. Multiple regression analysis were made to each one of the three temporal assemblages, using the same environmental variables as independent variables. The assemblage captured in 2008 had significant correlation with soil clay content, while the one captured in 2009 did not have a significant correlation with any of the variables and the assemblage captured in 2014 had correlation with plant composition. MANOVA test did not detect any significant difference among the three temporal assemblages. Procrustes analysis demonstrated that all the assemblages were correlated. The similarity between the assemblages captured in different seasons (2008-2009) were of 0.49 and the six-year spaced assemblages (2008- 2014) was of 0.40. For the xylophage’s species subset, the similarity between different seasons was of 0.56, and for the six year-spaced assemblage was of 0.46. Therefore, even the assemblages collected in different seasons or spaced by a time gap had a similar congruency. The most abundant species, all classified as xylophages, kept their relative abundances stable along the years. Species compositions of the assemblages captured in the three periods in the plots were not correlated with the environmental variables. Although it is necessary to better understand which factors are regulating the spatial distribution of the termites, their temporal stability, coupled with their response to the environmental changes, which is documented in this study, strengthens their use as a bioindicator group, which should be used in monitoring programs.Os térmitas são um grupo bioindicador com reconhecido potencial, porém poucos estudos visaram entender suas flutuações populacionais, algo primordial para sua utilização em programas de monitoramento. Avaliamos a congruência das composições taxonômicas e a o padrão temporal na distribuição espacial de assembleias de térmitas coletadas em 2008, 2009 e 2014. As coletas padronizadas foram feitas em 30 parcelas de 250 m distribuídas a cada 1 km em uma floresta tropical de terra firme. Excluindo os cupins sem soldado (Apicotermitinae), o número de espécies identificadas em 2008, 2009 e 2014 foi de 57, 53 e 44, respectivamente, totalizando 81 espécies. Para a assembleia coletada em 2014, incluindo os os Apicotermitinae morfotipados, foram feitos dois modelos de regressão múltipla. Foram utilizadas a proporção de argila no solo, inclinação do terreno, composição vegetal (representada por árvores, palmeiras e lianas) e altura da serapilheira como variáveis independentes. A composição taxonômica da assembleia total de térmitas foi reduzidas a um eixo via NMDS, e o subconjunto resultante da proporção de térmitas xilófagos em relação aos geófagos foram usadas como variáveis dependentes nos modelos de regressão. A composição taxonômica da assembleia total de térmitas teve correlação com a composição vegetal, enquanto a dos cupins xilófagos tiveram correlação com a composição vegetal e a serapilheira. Os Apicotermitinae foram excluídos das análises subsequentes. Modelos de regressão múltiplas foram feitos para as assembleias dos três períodos, utilizando as mesmas variáveis ambientais. A composição de espécies da assembleia de 2008 teve correlação significativa com a proporção de argila do solo, a de 2009 não teve correlação significativa com as variáveis, enquanto a de 2014 teve correlação com a composição vegetal. O teste de MANOVA não detectou diferença significativa entre a composição de espécies entre as assembleias dos três períodos. Análise de Procrustes demostrou que as assembleias coletadas nos três períodos estão correlacionadas. A similaridade entre as comunidades de estações diferentes (2008-2009) foi de 0.49 e a de seis anos de diferença (2009-2014) foi de 0.40. Para o subconjunto de espécies xilófagas, a similaridade entre estações diferentes foi de 0.56 e a de seis anos de diferença foi de 0.46. Portanto, tanto as assembleias coletadas em estações diferentes e próximas no tempo quanto as com seis anos de diferença mas da mesma estação climática, mantiveram graus de congruências similares. As abundâncias relativas das espécies mais abundantes, todas xilófagas, foram estáveis. A taxa de variação nas composições de espécies das parcelas entre anos diferentes não esteve correlacionada com as variáveis ambientais. Embora seja necessário entender melhor quais os fatores regulam a distribuição espacial deste grupo, sua estabilidade temporal, encontrada nesse estudo, aliada a sua resposta às mudanças ambientais, já documentada na literatura, reforça este táxon como um bioindicador que deve ser utilizado em programas de monitoramento

Are male soccer players accumulating sufficient load across varying microcycle structures? Examining the load, wellness and training/match ratios of a professional team

Professional soccer involves varying numbers of training sessions and matches each week, which can influence load distribution. Understanding the exact distribution may allow appropriate load periodisation and planning for players. Thus, this study aimed to (i) compare accumulated load and wellness between weeks with different numbers of training sessions and (ii) compare training/match ratio (TMr) of external and internal load between weeks with different numbers of training sessions. Ten players with a minimum of 45 minutes of weekly match-play were analysed over 16 weeks. The microcycle structures consisted of three (3dW), four (4dW), five (5dW) and six (6dW) training sessions plus match-day per week. The following measures were used for analysis: duration, fatigue, quality of sleep, muscle soreness, stress, mood, rating of perceived exertion (RPE), session-RPE (s-RPE), high-speed running distance (HSR), sprint distance (SPD), number of accelerations (ACC) and decelerations (DEC). Accumulated wellness/load were calculated by adding all training and match sessions, while TMr was calculated by dividing accumulated load by match data. The main results showed that accumulated wellness and load were significantly different, with moderate to very large effect sizes, except regarding mood, duration, s-RPE, SPD during 5dW vs. 6dW and s-RPE, HSR, SPD, ACC and DEC during 3dW vs. 4dW (all p > 0.05). Moreover, 6dW was significantly higher than 4dW regarding TMr of duration (p < 0.05, moderate effect size), RPE, HSR and SPD (all p < 0.05 with very large effect sizes) and for 3dW of HSR and ACC (p < 0.05 with very large effect sizes). This study showed that 5dW and 6dW had higher training measures than 3dW or 4dW. Additionally, higher wellness was presented in the microcycles with higher training frequencies. These findings suggest that physical load and wellness were not adjusted according to the number of training sessions within a microcycle.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Microsurgical Testicular Denervation for the Treatment of Chronic Testicular Pain – Initial Results

INTRODUCTION: Chronic testicular pain remains an important challenge for urologists. Currently, the treatment plan is primarily empirical, with the first approach consisting of clinical measures. However, some patients remain in pain despite a conservative treatment protocol and, for them, it is possible to perform a surgical procedure that involves severing the scrotal and spermatic branches of the genitofemoral and ilioinguinal nerve fibers. METHODS: In our institution, 60 patients were evaluated and treated for idiopathic chronic testicular pain between January 2003 and July 2007. Priority was give to clinical treatment, which evolved from simple to more complex measures. Microsurgical treatment was performed on those who experienced no considerable pain relief (10 individuals in our study). RESULTS: Over a twenty-four-month follow-up period, 70% of patients showed complete remission and 20% exhibited partial relief from pain

Alien spiders: First record of Loxosceles gaucho Gertsch, 1967 (Araneae: Sicariidae) in the Amazon region, Brazil

We present the first record for Loxosceles gaucho Gertsch, 1967 in the Amazonian region of Brazil. Four males, fifteen females and forty-nine immatures were collected in different places in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. This is the third species of Loxosceles reported in the Amazon region along with L.&nbsp;amazonica Gertsch, 1967, and L.&nbsp;similis Moenkhaus, 1898. This is the first record of an invasive species of a venomous animal in the state of Amazonas, Brazil, which is noteworthy due to its synanthropic habit, which increases the risk to the local population

Are non-starters accumulating enough load compared with starters? Examining load, wellness, and training/match ratios of a European professional soccer team

Background: The aims of the study were to: (i) compare accumulated load and wellness between starters and non-starters of a European professional soccer team; (ii) analyze the relationships between wellness and load measures and; (iii) compare training/match ratio (TMr) of external and internal load between starters and non-starters. Methods: Ten players were considered starters while seven were classified as non-starters over a 16-week period in which six training sessions and match day (MD) were considered in each weekly micro-cycle. The following measures were used: wellness (fatigue, quality of sleep, muscle soreness, stress, and mood); load (rated of perceived exertion (RPE), session-RPE (s-RPE), high-speed running (HSR), sprinting, accelerations (ACC) and decelerations (DEC)). Accumulated wellness/load were calculated by summing all training and match sessions, while TMr was calculated by dividing accumulated training load by match data for all load measures and each player. Mann–Whitney U test was used for wellness variables, while independent T-test was used for the remaining variables to compare groups. Moreover, relationships among variables were explored using the Spearman’s Rho correlation coefficient. Results: The main results showed that non-starters presented higher significant values for fatigue (p < 0.019; g = 0.24) and lower significant values for duration (p < 0.006; ES = 1.81) and s-RPE (p < 0.001; ES = 2.69) when compared to starters. Moreover, positive and very large correlation was found between quality of sleep and RPE, while negative and very large correlation were found between stress and deceleration, and mood and deceleration (all, p < 0.05). Finally, non-starters presented higher values in all TMr than starters, namely, RPE (p = 0.001; g = 1.96), s-RPE (p = 0.002; g = 1.77), HSR (p = 0.001; g = 2.02), sprinting (p = 0.002; g = 4.23), accelerations (p = 0.001; g = 2.72), decelerations (p < 0.001; g = 3.44), and duration (p = 0.003; g = 2.27). Conclusions: In conclusion, this study showed that non-starters produced higher TMr in all examined variables despite the lower match and training durations when compared with starters, suggesting that physical load was adjusted appropriately. Additionally, higher RPE was associated with improved sleep while higher number of decelerations were associated with decreased wellness, namely, stress and mood for non-starters

The effects of pre-season and relationships with physical, physiological, body composition, and load markers: a case study comparing starters versus non-starters from an elite female professional soccer team

Background and Objectives: Research on female soccer players that analyzes playing status is scarce and has previously only examined load monitoring, while other markers, such as physical (i.e., strength, power, and agility), physiological (i.e., maximal oxygen uptake), and body composition (i.e., body fat mass, fat-free mass, body water, and phase angle) markers, warrant further investigation. Thus, the study aims were to (a) compare physical, physiological, body composition, and load markers between starters and non-starters; (b) compare measurements pre- and post-training intervention (five weeks); and (c) analyze any relationships between physical, physiological, body composition, and load markers in an elite female soccer team. Materials and Methods: Fourteen first-team players participated in the study (age 23.29 ± 3.19 years, weight 59.14 ± 6.87 kg, height 1.66 ± 0.08 m). Several physical (n = 15), physiological (n = 1), body composition (n = 11), and load markers (n = 14) were collected. In addition, participants were sub-divided into starters (n = 7) and non-starters (n = 7). Results: No differences were revealed between starters and non-starters in any of the examined variables. Moreover, following the training intervention, a significantly lower value was found for total body water/fat-free mass ratio (p = 0.043; ES = 0.582). In addition, there were several correlations detected between load and physical/physiological markers (n = 28); load and body composition markers (n = 6); physical/physiological and body composition markers (n = 34); and physical and physiological markers (n = 42). Conclusions: In conclusion, only a slight tendency of higher load values for starters than non-starters was observed. In addition, no differences in physical, physiological, and body composition markers were found between starters and non-starters, possibly suggesting that five weeks were not enough to improve such variables. Finally, the present results provide novel information assessing the effects of the pre-season in elite female Portuguese soccer players and contribute to a better understanding of the associations between different types of measurements.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Fadiga pós Covid e desempenho esportivo: evidências atuais

O desempenho esportivo está intimamente ligado com a recuperação muscular e com a capacidade cardiorrespiratória do indivíduo, de modo que em uma situação comprometedora dessas funções, é provável que o desempenho seja afetado. Sendo assim, considerando o contexto recente da COVID-19, doença que afeta essas funcionalidades, discutiremos a respeito das evidências atuais da fadiga pós COVID em atletas

Concentrations of indolebutyric acid and kinds of substrates in the vegetative propagation of litchi

Objetivou-se, no presente trabalho, avaliar o efeito da aplicação de AIB e diferentes tipos de substratos na propagação vegetativa de lichia via técnica de alporquia. Os alporques foram realizados em ramos semilenhosos, sadios e vigorosos da cultivar Bengal, com 12 anos de idade. Os ramos foram anelados com 1,5 cm de largura, tratados com diferentes concentrações de AIB (0; 1.000; 2.000; 3.000 e 4.000 mg.L-1), distribuídos em solução com auxílio de pincel e cobertos com três diferentes tipos de substratos (plantmax®, húmus e esfagno) umedecidos. Em seguida, foram envolvidos com plástico transparente e amarrados nas duas extremidades, para criar um ambiente úmido ao redor da lesão, favorável ao desenvolvimento de raízes, para a produção dos alporques. Após 84 dias, avaliaram-se o comprimento de raiz (cm), o número de raízes, expresso em notas de 0 a 5, e a porcentagem de calejamento e de enraizamento. Maior sucesso na propagação vegetativa de lichia, cultivar Bengal, via técnica de alporquia, foi obtido utilizando como substrato o plantmax® AIB entre 2.166 e 2.430 mg.L-1. A utilização de húmus combinado com concentrações entre 2.175 e 2.250 mg.L-1 de AIB também proporcionou bons resultados no desenvolvimento dos alporques. Por outro lado, menor sucesso no desenvolvimento dos alporques de lichia, cultivar Bengal, independentemente da concentração de AIB utilizada, foi obtido com esfagno.The objective of the present research was to evaluate the effect of the IBA application and different kinds of substrates in the vegetative propagation of litchi by air layering technique. The air layering had been done in semi-hardwood, healthy and vigorous branches of cultivar Bengal, in stock plants of 12 years old. The branches had been ring-girdled, 1,5 cm of width, and the exposed wound treated with different IBA concentrations (0, 1000, 2000, 3000 and 4000 mg.L-1), enclosed with three moistened substrates (plantmax®, humus and sphagnum moss), involved with transparent plastic and tied in the two extremities. After 84 days, it was evaluated the length of root (cm), number of root expressed in notes from 0 to 5, percentage of callus and rooting. The best results in the vegetative propagation of litchi, cultivar Bengal, by air layering technique were obtained using plantmax® and IBA between 2.166 and 2.430 mg.L-1. The use of humus combined with concentrations between 2.175 and 2.250 mg.L-1 of IBA, also gave good results in the development of air layering. The poor success independently of IBA concentration was gotten with the use of sphagnum moss

Nurses' involvement in the development and usability assessment of an innovative peripheral intravenous catheterisation pack: a mix-method study

Guaranteeing peripheral venous access is one of the cornerstones of modern healthcare. Recent evidence shows that the lack of adequate clinical devices can result in the provision of substandard care to patients who require peripheral intravenous catheterization (PIVC). To address this challenge, we aimed to develop a PIVC pack for adult patients and assess the usability of this new device. Methods: Following a mix-method design, the PIVC pack development and usability assessment were performed in two phases with the involvement of its potential end-users (nurses). In phase one (concept and semi-functional prototype assessment), focus group rounds were conducted, and a usability assessment questionnaire was applied at each stage. In phase two (pre-clinical usability assessment), a two-arm crossover randomised controlled trial (PIVC pack versus traditional material) was conducted with nurses in a simulated setting. Final interviews were conducted to further explore the PIVC pack applicability in a real-life clinical setting. Results: High average usability scores were identified in each study phase. During the pre-clinical usability assessment, the PIVC pack significantly reduced procedural time (Z = −2.482, p = 0.013) and avoided omissions while preparing the required material (Z = −1.977, p = 0.048). The participating nurses emphasised the pack’s potential to standardise practices among professionals, improve adherence to infection control recommendations, and enhance stock management. Conclusions: The developed pack appears to be a promising device that can assist healthcare professionals in providing efficient and safe care to patients requiring a PIVC. Future studies in real clinical settings are warranted to test its cost-effectiveness.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Reliability of a laboratory-based long sprint cycling test: applications of the smallest worthwhile changes in performance for repeated measures designs

The aims of the present study were to assess the reliability of long sprint cycling performance in a group of recreationally trained cyclists and to provide thresholds for changes in performance for this particular group of subjects in repeated measures designs through a scale of magnitudes. Repeatability of mean power output during a 1-min cycling time trial was assessed in a group of 15 recreationally trained cyclists (26 ± 5, years, 176 ± 5 cm, 78 ± 8 kg). They were tested on separate days, approximately one week apart. The test and retest values for the whole group of cyclists were 7.0 ± 0.5 W/kg and 6.9 ± 0.6 W/kg (systematic change and 90% confidence limits of -1.0% ± 1.1%). Our results indicated good test-retest reproducibility (typical error of 1.8%, 90% confidence limits of 1.4% to 2.6%; intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.96, confidence limits of 0.91 to 0.99), but suggested a reduction of mean power for the “slower” subjects on retest (-2.0%, 90% confidence limits of ±1.8%). If not monitored, this systematic decrease could interfere in results of studies utilizing groups with similar performance levels, particularly investigating strategies to improve performance in sprint cycling exercises around 1 min. The thresholds for moderate, large, very large and extremely large effects for mean power output on long sprint cycling performance are about 0.4%, 1.3%, 2.3%, 3.6%, and 5.8%, respectively